Fostering better relations with a cross-border group

Living on the St. Lawrence River, have you ever looked across the water at your neighbours in the United States and wondered, “Are we really that different?”

A press release from Ontario Senator Bob Runciman’s office announced that he has formed a cross-border group with New York State Senators Patty Ritchie and Joseph Griffo.

“This initiative will help open new lines of communication and create a chance to explore new opportunities that can benefit both New York and Canada,” Senator Ritchie said.

The group’s formation came in response to a recent incident in local waters where an American fisherman was arrested for “straying” into Canadian waters.

“The incident reminded Senator Ritchie and I how interdependent the two countries are along the border and how important it is to have a regular dialogue to discuss matters of mutual concern,” Senator Runciman said.

Stormont-Dundas-South Glengarry MP Guy Lauzon has joined Runciman’s group alongside Leeds-Grenville MP Gord Brown, Leeds-Grenville MPP Steve Clark, and Kingston and the Islands MP Ted Hsu. These members, however, were not present for the founding meeting on October 7.

The Leader was able to speak with Lauzon late last week. He told the Leader that “Runciman is taking the lead.”

While he admitted that his “information is somewhat limited” at this point, he did offer the following information: “I’m on the committee. What we’re trying to do is foster better relations between the two border countries and ridings.”

Lauzon referenced the incident with the fisherman as the catalyst to the formation of the cross-border group saying: “We just think if we can open up better communication with both countries at both levels we can eradicate this problem.”

“Northern New York and Eastern Ontario share not just a common border, but face the same challenges and opportunities. It makes economic sense to look for joint solutions,” Runciman said. “And the people in border communities are not just neighbours, but we’re good friends, too. I see this group as a way to reinforce that message.”

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From April 6th to the 9th, the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), East Region Traffic Teams and participating detachments conducted a highly visible traffic safety enforcement initiative along Highway 401 that was simultaneously mirrored by the New York State Police(NYSP) and the Sûreté du Québec to emphasize the shared goal of safe roadways.

OPP Detachments included Grenville County, Leeds County, Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry (SDG) and the OPP East Region Highway Enforcement Team (HET).

Officers concentrated on the offences that result in the greatest contribution to serious and sometimes fatal collisions, with particular attention to impaired driving, aggressive driving, distracted driving and improper seat belt use. Officers also focussed on violators who do not move over for emergency vehicles that have their lights flashing.

OPP officers in East Region stopped 2,634 vehicles with the following results:

• 682 provincial offence notices issued

• 648 speeding charges

• 23 seatbelt charges

• 2 distracted driving charges

• 1 impaired driving charge

• 7 suspended driver charges

• 15 commercial motor vehicle charges

• 108 move over charges

Section 159 of the Highway Traffic Act (HTA) was created to keep emergency workers safe while stopped on our roadways. OPP officers issued 108 tickets to those drivers that failed to do so.

This is unacceptable. Emergency services workers need your help in providing a safe environment to respond to emergencies. Slow down and move away from the emergency services vehicles with its light flashing. We are here to help you… please help us!

Many are the products/trash of a throw-away society. Some, because they are no longer cute and cuddly puppies, others because they are sick, or hurt or old. Others because they are simply too much bother.

These are some of the dogs that end up at the South Dundas Dog Pound located at 5066 Prunner Road and operated by Kevin Casselman who is contracted by the municipality.

On a recent Saturday, “I picked up five dogs in one day. One had gotten loose and was claimed back by an elderly gentleman.”

Casselman advises anyone who has a dog that goes missing to get hold of him immediately either by contacting the township or calling him at 613-543-2980.

Although sometimes it is a matter of a dog getting loose, Casselman says, “A lot are being dropped. A lot are sick ones that we pick up. It’s the money. Vet bills are so high.” He suspects that some of the people are from the urban areas/cities that are abandoning the dogs, thinking they will be taken in by the rural folk. Most often they are not and once-loved and cared-for family pets are finding themselves in the wild to fend for themselves against coyotes and wolves.

“We’ve had them tied up to the sign at the end of the road, because they know we are here. We get everything from purebred to crosses to dogs that have obviously been family pets.”

Casselman is currently looking for a home for a purebred yellow lab that he has kept long beyond the four days the township pays for an animal’s care. This guy is a beauty. He is good with children, very friendly, very kind and has been neutered. Casselman with the help of Pam Bullard, who assists at the pound, has been actively seeking a new family for the yellow lab.

Casselman says it is a misconception that all dogs are automatically euthanized after the four day period runs out. Yes, euthanism is part of the job, but he also tries to find homes for as many dogs as he deems are suitable.

“I’ve shipped as far away as Sudbury,” he told the Leader during a visit to the pound on Friday, September 14. “Recently, we adopted out a Shepherd that had been here for 2.5 months. This past Monday, a little Black Lab mix went out.”

A purebred female Great Pyrenees was picked up Saturday, and taken to her new home in South Mountain and a purebred Welsh Terrier was expected to go to a forever home in Morrisburg sometime this week.

In all Casselman had 18 dogs on the property, some still in the four day period and that he had taken into his care and is now sheltering and feeding at his own expense.

Some of these included a beautiful purebred young chocolate lab (very high puppy energy), a husky and an adorable mid-size mix.

Casselman does not charge for dogs that he adopts out but he does gratefully accept donations to help him pay for their care expenses.

He explains that under his contract with the Township, “they pay for the heat, food and maintenance for four days. During the four day period, the dogs can’t be removed from the facility, except by their owner. As a municipality, we are responsible for them, and we are required to ensure that nothing happens to them while in our care. After the four days, the dogs go into my name and they go up for adoption.”

Casselman’s longtime dilemma is that people aren’t aware that they can get dogs through him. That is where Bullard comes in. In addition to providing some grooming, Bullard works at getting the information out there on the available dogs through her Facebook page and on various free advertising sites such as Kijiji. Bullard says she is hoping to soon have a link with the municipality’s website.

South Dundas owns the pound which includes three buildings, one outdoor, one indoor and one used for storage. All are heated and government inspected. The South Dundas pound can handle up to 10 dogs indoors.

“I have to dispose of sick dogs and our pound vet is Dr. Gray who issues me the stuff through the Ministry of Agriculture. The ministry has full access to the buildings, 24-7. They go through regularly, and we have had no bad reports.”

“I am well monitored. I must have proper ventilation, maintain proper temperatures and make sure there are no contaminants, no insects. We pressure wash every day and disinfect twice a month, more often if we deem necessary.”

Having worked with dogs for 28 years, Casselman says it is still tough when he has to euthanize the sick, or the unadoptable, the aggressive ones. He says it is especially tough when he knows it is an animal that has been abused. “I can tell right away. I know.”

Casselman says that when times are tough he sees more animals. People can’t afford vet bills for care or to pay to have the animals euthanized. So they abandon them.

He says he also has problems with image. “People just don’t know what all goes on down here,” he says, asking that we print that the name of the town is “Morrisburg not Rumourburg. I hear from people that there are those who say, I keep the dogs for four days and then I kill them. Enough is enough. I’ve had enough. If they are adoptable, I will find them a home. Unfortunately, when I get rid of one there are often two or three more that come in.”

Unfortunately, there has been occasions where people will adopt a dog and donate $20 to him even though Casselman has been feeding it for weeks if not months. “Then they’ll take the dog and put it on the internet for sale for $300.” According to Casselman, by law he has to go out of his way to ensure that dogs do not go to anyone who is going to turn around and sell them for profit.

Casselman says he will accept donations to help with the care of the animals he is housing, but he does not solicit. He can use cash donations, food donations and even old blankets, pillows, bowls and crates. “Some people drop off bones that we keep frozen. We’ll accept anything and we’ll even pick it up.”

Casselman’s job also has him dealing with cats and wildlife the latter sometimes being in places they shouldn’t be.

Thankfully, there are a lot more good pet/dog owners than bad. Unfortunately, there are the latter, and it is the results of their actions that the South Dundas Dog Pound and Kevin Casselman are dealing with.

Anyone who is looking to adopt a dog is invited to contact Casselman, and anyone who might be interested in any of the animals currently in his care should contact him for more information. He will refuse anyone he feels is not suitable and having worked around dogs and people for so many years, he says, “I know right away when there is a good match.”

Although some of the dogs in his care are neutered/spayed those that aren’t and are adopted, he strongly encourages the new owners to have the procedures done to prevent anymore unwanted animals.

Anyone who wishes to donate to help with the animal-care expenses (past the township’s responsibility), or to donate food and supplies or who has ideas on some effective advertising methods for successful adoptions can also contact Kevin.

Tubie race competitors got what they asked for at a meeting hosted by the South Dundas Chamber of Commerce Tubie Festival organizing committee, July 10, at the McIntosh Inn.

The meeting was held to help the new organizing committee gauge interest in the race.

“In the past, organizers would wait until the Friday night (of Tubie Weekend) to see how many competitors there would be,” said Kevin Casselman, who chaired the meeting. The new committee wasn’t comfortable with waiting until then, so they organized this preliminary meeting.

In addition to gauging interest, the meeting provided a forum for those planning to compete to share ideas, to ask questions, and to provide input.

Before the meeting started, Casselman told The Leader that if there was an appetite for change, the committee was willing to do what they could to facilitate the desired changes.

The main topic of conversation was the format of the upcoming 44th annual Tubie race.

Cole Veinotte suggested returning the race to its original format.

According to Veinotte, the sprint format brought in a few years ago, has been keeping Tubie traditionalists away. He suggested that some of those traditionalists are likely to return should the original race format be re-instated.

Other competitors at the meeting agreed to bringing back the traditional format, where paddlers race their Tubie crafts from Mariatown to the Morrisburg beach.

Veinotte suggested the format change could alleviate some of the congestion at the Morrisburg dock, on a very busy long weekend, that this year will also be hosting the Renegade Bass fishing tournament series.

Immediately following the meeting, the Tubie Festival committee went to work on securing the Arlor Haven Campsite launch venue for the race Sunday, August 3.

Monday morning, Casselman announced that they had successfully secured the Arlor Haven launch site for the 2014 Tubie race.

Organizers have about 7-8 teams planning to participate. “We’re happy with that number in early July,” said Casselman.

They continue to welcome more to build a craft to join in the Tubie fun.

As always, festivities kick off with a parade Saturday, August 2, and a dance that evening.

Organizers are planning to keep the traditional parade route in tact, even though a portion of it passes along an area of Lakeshore Drive which has been under construction. They believe the area will be paved in time for the parade.

Local talent – One Night Standards will play this year’s dance, which is planned for outdoors, at the Morrisburg waterfront however, there will be no big tent.

Tubie T-Shirts are designed and ordered.

The 2014 Tubie theme – It’s Going Tubie a Splash.

This is the first year the Tubie Festival is being handled by the South Dundas Chamber of Commerce, who took over the event after the Morrisburg and District Lions Club announced that they would no longer host it.

“This is not something that a chamber of commerce would normally do, but it’s so important to the community, we didn’t want to see it disappear,” said Carl McIntyre, South Dundas Chamber of Commerce president.

“Nowhere else in the world is there a Tubie Festival. South Dundas has Tubies and we won’t let that go,” said Geraldine Fitzsimmons of the South Dundas Chamber of Commerce.